Morning Brew: police administrative error makes G20 charge vanish, horrific stench in the Scarborough air, Smitherman taunts Ford in schoolyard style, hydro rate hikes on the horizon, Colangelo reflects on Bosh

The sole person arrested and charged under the highly controversial G20 security fence law (under the Public Works Protection Act) showed up in court yesterday -- only to learn that the courts had no record of the charges. Police are suggesting that this was the result of an administrative error. Whether or not they plan to correct this administrative error and still pursue charges isn't yet clear. What is clear to me, however, is that security and policing of the G20 was a monumental challenge fraught with confusion, miscommunication and screw ups.

Residents of Birkdale and Midland Park neighbourhoods in Scarborough have been pinching their noses and forced to abandon their own backyards as a seemingly worsening, putrid odour emanates from a paper milling company in the area. Atlantic Packaging (the company responsible) says it hasn't changed its processes, and is investigating the problem (but has been doing so since March with no solution). Until the problem is found and fixed, residents will have to try to ignore the smell of rotting eggs and sewage while they enjoy that poolside cocktail or backyard barbecue.

Things are getting heated in the municipal politics arena, which, at times, seems more like a school playground. Mayoral candidate Rob Ford is turning down an opportunity to go one-on-one with fellow candidate George Smitherman on a CFRB talk show, and Smitherman isn't shying away from calling it like he sees it. Accusing Ford of "chickening out" and his bid being a "peekaboo candidacy," Smitherman suggests that Ford is afraid to take him on in debate. The Ford team has responded by saying that they will debate, but on their own terms and when the time is right.

Prepare to pay more for electricity. Rate hikes as high as 16% are expected to come into effect by the fall, due to increases in the price of power paid to generating companies and the introduction of the HST. To make matters worse, we're having one heck of a hot summer, which means that power consumption is also up for many customers as they pump the A/C to stay cool. To spout ideologically, perhaps some good may come from this as consumers make more strident efforts to conserve power and spare their wallets.

And while it's far too late to do anything about it, Raptors GM Brian Colangelo is now coming out and saying publicly that Chris Bosh "checked out" before this season's end and that his plans to leave the team and join his pals Wade and James were a long time in the making. The obvious question is: why wasn't he traded earlier, so the team could actually get something of value in his departure?

Photo: "Energized" by CurlyCam, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.